The First War of Humanity! For the Tribe or for Barbecue?
Lin Shen's lollipops stirred up an unprecedented sweet storm in the underworld.
Deep within the Reincarnation Metaverse, on that vast continent pioneered for novice human players, a completely different storm is taking shape.
Youchao Shi awakened the "Soul of Architecture," Suiren Shi ignited the "Soul of the Kindling."
From then on, the development of the human race seemed to be put on fast-forward.
On the vast plains, primitive cities built from giant trees and rocks are stubbornly rising from the horizon. Their architectural style is rugged, yet full of wild vitality.
This was the first great declaration by the followers of Youchao Shi in their fight against nature. They would regard building a stronger and more magnificent "home" as their lifelong glory.
On the other side of the continent, near the volcanic cluster, lies a completely different scene.
Smoke rises from the chimneys there year-round, and the rich aroma of meat can travel for hundreds of miles.
This is the territory of Suiren Shi.
His people have mastered the art of fire; roasting meat is just the beginning. They have developed countless cooking methods, from grilling on stone slabs and stewing in earthenware pots to braising in banana leaves. They have transformed the handling of ingredients into an art.
One is in charge of external affairs, and the other is in charge of internal affairs.
One provides accommodation, the other provides food.
This should have been a match made in heaven.
However, the first major division of civilizations and the first war among humankind were ultimately sparked by something as simple as food.
The cause is a virtual data creature called the "Seven-Colored Scale Fish".
This fish lives in the mother river that runs through the continent. Its flesh, composed of various data, is extremely delicious and contains a trace of special energy that can slightly enhance the player's "comprehension".
It is recognized as a top-tier ingredient by the Suiren Shi Tribe and is a supreme delicacy in the world of barbecue.
But just three days ago, the Seven-Colored Scale Fish in the river vanished into thin air.
Suiren Shi sent people upstream along the river, and when they reached the upper reaches, the scene before them left them speechless.
A colossal wooden and stone dam, like a Primordial World beast, tightly choked the throat of the great river.
The rushing river was forcibly cut off, leaving only a trickle downstream.
On the dam, the members of the Youchao Shi clan were working hard. A huge waterwheel slowly turned, driving the complex wooden structure to carry out a magnificent project called "Water-Powered Fully Automated Logging Yard".
"Youchao! What do you mean?!"
Suiren Shi, leading his most elite "Barbecue Master," charged in with overwhelming force.
His fingers trembled slightly with anger as he pointed at the majestic dam and then at the nearly dry riverbed downstream, his eyes red with rage.
"You lousy dam! You've blocked all Laozi fish! For three whole days, my people haven't even been able to lick a single fish scale!"
On the towering wooden tower, Youchao Shi peeked out, looking down at the furious Suiren Shi, his expression one of the builder's self-satisfaction.
"Suiren, you can't just keep your eyes fixed on those few fish in the pot."
He pointed to the waterwheel slowly turning behind him, his tone full of pride.
"See that? Hydraulic Lumber Mill! With it, our city-building efficiency will triple! In the future, we will build a super city-state that can accommodate all our people and will never fall! This is our race's grand undertaking!"
"I don't care about your grand ambitions!" Suiren Shi completely exploded. "What's the point of life if you can't even afford grilled fish?!"
"Today, you either tear down this broken dam for me, or we'll help you tear it down!"
Thus began the first diplomatic negotiations in human history.
"Without a sturdy home, you won't even have a safe place to grill fish!"
"If we can't even afford grilled fish, living in the best house is just like living in a cold cage!"
"Foolish! Survival is always the first priority!"
"Bullshit! If you don't know how to enjoy life, is that what you call living? That's just barely hanging on!"
The negotiations ultimately broke down.
The symbol is that Suiren Shi angrily smashed a cleanly gnawed animal bone at the feet of Youchao Shi.
War is imminent.
This scene was clearly seen by the "GM" bigwigs of the underworld through the reincarnation light screen.
"Interesting, incredibly interesting!" The Tongtian Jiaozhu slapped his thigh in amazement; this was far more entertaining than any Daoist debate.
"This is the real struggle between the two! Survival versus enjoyment, order versus freedom! Second Brother, who do you think will win?"
Yuanshi Tianzun remained silent, his gaze fixed on the gathering of the two forces on the light screen. He didn't care about winning or losing; what he cared about was the "rules" that spontaneously arose from the conflict.
For example, before a war breaks out, both sides will send envoys to agree on the time and place of the battle, and will never launch a surprise attack.
For example, their attacks would intentionally avoid targeting women and children in the opposing tribe.
These simple "war ethics" stirred a ripple of satisfaction in the tranquil Dao Heart of the Yuanshi Tianzun. This was the embryonic form of the "Chan" Dao.
Taiqing Laozi remained the same, only occasionally flicking his finger when both sides were on the verge of losing control of the battle.
Thus, a patch of "calming grass" will silently spawn in the center of the battlefield, calming the hot-headed guys on both sides.
The war has officially begun.
The scene was less like a war and more like a large-scale brawl filled with a joyful atmosphere.
The Youchao Shi's "construction army," each armed with a "Demolition Hammer" made of stones and vines, chanted. "For our new home!"
Suiren Shi's "Barbecue Expeditionary Force" each held aloft a "Barbecue Fork" blackened by smoke and glistening with oil at the tip, their battle cry being, "For grilled fish!"
"Bang!"
A construction worker's sledgehammer slammed into a barbecue chef's helmet.
The barbecue chef felt a buzzing in his head, saw stars before his eyes, staggered back two steps, and then rushed forward again, cursing.
"Pfft!"
A barbecue chef used his greasy fork to precisely stab a construction worker in the buttocks.
A slimy, nauseating sensation instantly spread from the wound. The construction worker felt his legs go weak, slowing him down by a fraction. He turned around angrily and swung the sledgehammer in a wide arc.
Players who "died" turned into white light and respawned at their respective respawn points.
The first thing they did after their rebirth was to grab their weapons and charge back onto the battlefield, their faces filled with grief and indignation.
"Damn it, that bastard just ambushed me! I'll beat him to a pulp this time!"
"Those idiots from the Youchao Shi clan only know how to swing hammers! Brothers, let's use our Barbecue Fork to give them a 'mountain full of chrysanthemums'!"
This war had no real deaths, only the purest, soaring fighting spirit for tribal honor (and a bite to eat).
Youchao Shi's goal was clear: to storm into Suiren Shi's tribe and smash their largest earthenware pot used for stewing fish soup!
Suiren Shi's goal was more direct: to break through Youchao Shi's defenses and set fire to their proud "Hydraulic Lumber Mill"!
This passionate war captivated all the Sage watching.
The Tongtian Jiaozhu was itching to take a look.
He felt that these little guys' weapons were too simple and not powerful enough.
So he pointed his fingers like a sword and gently tapped the void.
A barely perceptible sword aura, yet containing the intent of supreme creation and destruction, silently disappeared into the void.
The next moment, next to the armory of the Youchao Shi clan, a remarkable carving suddenly appeared on an inconspicuous stone slab.
The engraving clearly outlines a weapon with a ferocious shape, covered in barbs, and full of violent beauty.
--Wolf Tooth Club Design.